When Gov. Andy Beshear signed sports betting into law on March 31, he made Kentucky the biggest U.S. jurisdiction by population to adopt a legal wagering age of 18. Of the 26 legal digital states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, only six currently allow betting at 18, and four of those — Montana, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Washington, D.C. — are regulated by state lotteries.
Brianne Doura-Schawohl, a responsible gambling consultant representing the National Council for Problem Gambling, told that research has shown there are an “estimated 4 to 8 percent of adolescents presently exhibiting a serious gambling problem, with another 10 to 14 percent of adolescents at risk for developing or returning to a serious gambling problem. Compound that with the fact that the NCPG NGAGE survey found rates of problematic gambling for sports betting to be two to three times worse in comparison to other forms of gambling” and the NCPG would advocate for 21 as the legal age.
“The brain does not fully form until 25, so if you were to ask me 18 or 21, I’d take 25,” Doura-Schawohl said.
In recent months, responsible gambling has become a top concern among gambling stakeholders. Newly legal states like Maine, Massachusetts, and Ohio have set down some of the most stringent advertising and marketing standards in the country, all in an effort to protect those under the age of 21 from even being exposed to the idea of legal wagering. Just last month, the American Gaming Association updated its responsible gambling guidelines, including changing all references to “legal age of wagering” to 21.